Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-09-25
DAILY HERALD.
FEMALE PHYSICIANS.
Their Success i'm the East and
West-lm the Medical Colleges.

Their Success i'm the East and
West-ln the Medical Colleges.
Miss Harriet Post, talented young
lady who has been practicing physi-
clan in New York city for eight years,
Wednesday, in passing through Pitts
burg on her way to the East after her
vacation in her Western home, re-
manned over few hours and chatted
pleasantly with some lady friends con-
corning women in the medical profess
sion. sin the Middle States,' said
she, ''the female physician has made
but small headway; she is looked
upon with suspicion, and in many
cases as some wild animal to be Sc
verely let alone.
eIn the east and in the extreme
west it is different. In the west the
female doctor, like the female farmer,
is growing up with the country, and
if she proves herself woman OF
sense and understanding she is con-
suited in cases OF illness, and her ad-
vice received with respect and fol-
lowed with obedience. In the east,
while not exactly on the same plane
with the male practitioner, yet her
skill is freely acknowledged, and her
,ervices constantly called into requisi-
ton. There are great number OF
lady physicians in and about New
York City. We have our shingles
out, and we make, take it all in all, a
nice round sum of money each year.
One thing we do dislike though,
and that is to collect our bills.
But, looking at that in philosophical
light, the principal reason for disliking
to collect bills is the fear of losing
patients. No pun intended" laughed
the lady, cor fun either. We send
out bills with fear and trembling, not
knowing whether they will work our
destruction or otherwise. As a class
we are conservative; in fact, we are
forced to be. In cases of kill or cure
none but the very bravest dare to un-
dertake, because of the kill. A man
rarely hesitates ON account OF the kill,
but to us it ever remains.
s'How do We get into practice? =?
Well. our connection with college
brings practice to us. By the time
we are graduated we have a pretty
fair start, and all that remains is for
us to rent an Office and put out our
sign, ,.., .,,o.o. ..o ,,o,.
strict with lady students than with
gentlemen. In the first place good
high-school examination is required
of ladies before they are admitted.
This the gentlemen, except in rare
instances, may omit Another thing,
when lady decides to study medi-
o:~o &c n ,~rofocosoy, cbo rooc 70 ao1-
lege to study and to work, while it is
frequently the case with the male stu
dents that they are sent to such de-
partments by enthusiastic parents to
be made, and, in consequence, either
play or study to suit themselves. En-
yious Of each other? Not generally
speaking. OF course it is not pleasant
to see an old patient call another lady
physician, particularly if one
has cured at other times
and not deserved the slight. Some
of the female physicians in New
York have made hosts of friends in
professional way. Some of them,
after leaving the city and settling
hundreds of miles away, are called to
New York by some favorite child of
fortune, who imagines that no other
physician can fill the place of the alb
sent one. All expenses are paid, of
course, and a goodly-sized check pays
for time and trouble. Lady physi-
clans, too, are selected more frequent
ly to travel with wealthy families.
While this is considered by some as
bad thing for practice, yet it generally
gives physician prestige, and it is
always clear case of financial gain.
"One lady physician of my ac-
quaintance in New York is the ad-
miration of the male as well as female
members of the medical profession;
she puts through no end Of work, and
is a thorough business woman along
with all else. She holds clinics at the
1norgue, delivers lectures to students,
attends to large practice, dictates
articles for the medical journals, and
has found her way lately into the
pockets of a number of wealthy New
York people, SO new hospital will
shortly be erected with the funds she
has secured. She interests everybody
in her work, and is certainly one Of
the successful female physicians OF
New York.
"Ever expect to marry?" echoed
the bright little lady. "Why," and
the blue eyes twinkled with merri-
ment, "what man in his right mind
would ever marry woman doctor !"
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